I just got back from my local Apple store where I waited in line for the forth time to secure an AT&T 64 gig iPad 2. The forth time.

I had a good feeling about it today too. When I arrived this morning at around 7:45 there were only about fifteen people in front of me-- so I thought my odds were good. I wasn't so lucky and I went home empty handed again. I felt particularly needled when the store employee handing out tickets told me (and others) to try again tomorrow.

It wouldn't be so bad were it not for the fact that I've been waiting for this thing to come out for a year, and its launch corresponded with my having received my federal tax return-- a situation which seemed almost serendipitous.

My frustration is acute.

Why, I wonder, does my local store get only 15 to 25 units a day? I happened to be in the mall last night to ask a question about the new Apple TV and I asked the sales associate if they had received an ample amount to be distributed the following morning (today). He wouldn't tell me anything, of course and I felt like begging him to give me a clue so that I wouldn't waste any more of my time. What's left of my dignity prevented me from that though.

I get it: The product is in high demand. Something about this isn't right however, and it leaves a really bad taste in my mouth.

If they are in such short supply, they should have limited the purchase to one or two per person.And not spread it to places like Wal Mart or Radio Shack until demand eased up.Bad form on Apple's part.Of course, you could order online and wait… But where's the fun in that?

Sorry to say, it's like this for many popular Apple releases and has been for quite some time. FWIW, the peeps in the store don't know how many units they are getting until the shipment shows-up so begging probably would have been fruitless anyways ;-)

I understand your frustration; having gone through iGadget releases myself it does test one's patience ;-) Once you *do* get your iPad2 I somehow think the frustration will become but a dim memory (or perhaps cherished rite-of-passage?)

I did order one online-- on March 16th. I've been given a projected shipping date of April 20th. That seems like a long, long time from now and it seemed much longer when I placed the order two weeks ago. I'd be thrilled to get one now and cancel my web order.

Yeah, I'm being impatient, I know. It's just that when I decided to pull the trigger on this thing I wanted it THEN. Heck, I'll admit to being downright childish about it. But given I'm sharing this experience on an Apple enthusiast website I figure I'm in good company.

I had pretty much resigned myself to the end-of-the-month until last night when while in the Apple store I played with one for an extended period of time. I gotta say it: the device is pretty darn cool. It is in fact, cooler than it should be. It just feels good to hold.

When I made the decision to get the thing my angle was a pretty utilitarian one (excitement about getting a new gadget notwithstanding). I figured that it would be a superior means of surfing the internet to my aging George Forman Grill-hot MBP (that has a battery that lasts only an hour and a half at this juncture in its life). Definitely utilitarian. In fact, I scoffed at Steve Jobs' description of the device as "magical" as marketing bull$hit. I was wrong and Steve was right. The thing is really pretty awesome.

"If it turns out that President Barack Obama can make a deal with the most intransigent, hard-line, unreasonable, totalitarian mullahs in the world but not with Republicans? Maybe he’s not the problem."

You are lucky to get it most likely this week.Where I live in the Philippines they only have the ipad original.They are so behind the times here it is a joke.Maybe perhaps in 2 months time they will get the new ipad 2 in.

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